I thought I was safe with tubular jack stands, hell if Sears sells them they must be safe, right?. Had them up about as high as they would go. Was underneath with a breaker bar. Felt the car rock, luckily it rocked back. Have used overkill ever since when underneath. You only need to feel that feeling once to catch on if you're lucky enough.
I think I mentioned it before, but has anyone thought of using used big rig steel wheels as backups? they have a pile of them behind a business here, been there forever, I'm going to ask them if I can get a few, i figure one under each side in case of failure
The wood blocks look like an interesting idea, for now I have several sets of Craftsman 6 ton jack stands that have worked out pretty well so far.
I used to have a pair of 22.5" or so big truck wheels that I used a couple of times as jack stands. They were just too heavy so they went to the scrapper. I also had some school bus brake drums that I was going to use as bases for some shop equipment, but again, too heavy for me. I still use regular old jack stands, but have been meaning to build some box cribbing stands.
2 old wheels welded together serve the same purpose too. My jack stands are Ford banjo axle housings. Great jack stands and very old school.
I always put a wheel/tire under the frame rail when I'm under the car. At the most, keep the majority of the car's weight off me. And that did save my life once on a parking-lot fix where I needed to raise the car just enough to slide under it with a jack--the tires weren't off the ground, but the suspension was extended so I could slide between the frame and the ground. The jack bled down 6 inches over ten or 15 minutes, and when the frame came to rest of the tire next to me, it compressed the sidewall enough to let air hiss out along the bead. If anybody doubts the strength of cribbing, stick a 12-inch length of 2x4 into your shop press, and see how much force you need to apply before it cracks in the center. Now realize that you would need to crack every one of them before the car went to the ground. Times four boxes. They also use cribbing to hold up ships in dry-dock, and move buildings. I haven't gotten around to building a set of boxes yet, mainly because of storing them when not in use. But it is on the list. -Brad
Heads up on the HF jack stands, take a look at their welds on the flip catch that locks ? the up right. I had just finished puting them under my car when the weld let go on one and I thought the car was going to do a header off the other 3 but I got lucky it didn't and I was not under the car. so now I have both of my floor jacks backing up the stands if my butt is going under the car...........
I have some similar but they are probably a little heavier. I got a bunch of 2"X10" cutoffs from a subdivision construction site, Screwed them together to the right height I wanted and was good to go. When I run out of jackstands or are putting a car up for awhile they come in quite handy. Sorry its a crappy cell pic.
We used to us a similar design on the flightline behind C130s to support their ramps for loading. We called them "Milkstools" and they were more of a pyramid type design. Heavy as hell, and we'd run 40,000 pound Sheridan tanks on airdrop platfroms across the top of them. I've always planned to build myself a set of them as well.
We use the same principle on cranes. They are called a rivermat. 140 ton [lift weight] on the crane total weight 300,000. lb 3 layers 4X4 each direction 8'X8' at each outrigger. Wood works fine.
My neighbor had his pos on ramps when I got home the other day. Both rear wheels were almost in the pocket and one of the ramps was looking like a ladder bar against the frame. He said he was just under the car checking the fuel pump. I told him I'd help him straighten out the set up. I also told him he could be there for the rest of his life. He laughed and told me I didnt know what I was talking about. Did I mention he's an idiot?
These look really good and I am considering building a set for myself. The biggest drawback I can see would be the difficulty in getting the car down off of them. Any idea how you would do that ? <!-- / message --> I like the wooden ones much more than these flimsy looking aluminum ones. I know the aluminum ones are braced inside and solid but they look tippy and unstable compared to the wood ones pictured.
Ive had mine built for four years a great way to safely work on the car plus your able to see the car as it would look at ride height with out the wheels and suspension hanging! Detroit speed has been using them for years aswell in the shop very safe! By profleetline at 2010-11-09
Hey that car looks familar lol actually it is a little challenging to get it off them butttttttt the way i do is to let it down onto jack stands from the rear first jacking up at the rear end and onto the jack stands then same way in the front instaed of trying to getting down all the way at one time, Any other ?'s just hollar!
Very safe design. By the time the load gets to the void it has been transfered to the outside of the 2x4s in each direction and is mostly in pure compression at the corners. I built a set of wooden boxes similar in design that I use. They are great and more stable than jack stands.
Ah, child abuse. A lost art that I think we've let go. People don't know how to listen any more because of the humane way children are supposed to be raised these days.
Yeah, how would that have taken place today? Oh wait, the parents would have bought the parts and paid to have them installed.
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